YOUR HOPE IS IN GOD

Your Hope Is In God

“Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.” (Psalms 42:11).

Many people are “down” this time of the year when they should really be happy and optimistic.  We may not even realize why we feel “down”.  “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” (Psalms 42: 11).  It could be because of a loss in our lives, or physical limitations because of health, stress, mental health, or maybe we have lost our purpose in life.  Regardless of the reason, the solution is the same.  “Hope in God”.  It is important to ask yourself why you are having the feelings of being down.  Once you have identified them, then you can begin to get yourself “up” again. Your Countenance is the physical reflection of your face on the spiritual help that God is giving you.

The pace and complexity of life sometimes makes it very difficult to get our mind and spirit where they can find help.  The “hope” you need will come from God if you will follow some spiritual principles others have used.  Hope is not just optimism, although optimism is a great attitude to have.

“Hope” has to come from within your soul.  “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” 

(1 Samuel 30:6).  Speak to yourself words of encouragement and hope.

Read and quote verses to yourself like: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28).  This is not a “pep talk” or the “power of positive thinking”, but the Word of God to your soul.  To renew “hope” in your soul, you must feed it spiritual food.  “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; (Ephesians 5:19-20).  Words are very powerful, because you believe what you say to yourself.

When you are “down”, you need to focus on how good God has been to you and not on how you feel at the moment.  Realize that you are not the only person who is experiencing the feelings of “hopelessness”.  Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ experienced all of the feelings you are experiencing, which allows Him to give you hope.  “For we do not have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16). 

Your “hope” comes from God.  “And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.” (Psalms 39:7).

Here are some practical ways to put your Hope in God.  

• Share your true feelings with God, yourself, and with people who understand.  

• Choose to read books, listen to music and TV programs that are positive and that talk about things you are hoping for. 

• Attend Church regularly – The Word of God will encourage you quicker than any other resource, read it!!  

• Get busy helping others that are in greater need than yourself. 

• Visit a nursing home, hospital, or a shut in, and you will see how blessed you are.  

• Choose to accept responsibility for your own recovery rather than waiting for someone else to “fix” you or “make you happy”.

• Finally, remember that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ has promised you a great future.  This life is not all there is.  There is a reason to live right and follow the Lord Jesus Christ, even when we don’t feel like it.  

We have a lot to be hopeful for.  “The thief (Satan) does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10).  “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:26).  “Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that where I am, you may be also. (John 14:1-3). 

The past is over, and the future hasn’t happened yet.  But the future can be very good for those who’s hope is in God.

If you start feeling “down” during the holidays ask yourself this question and follow this advice: 

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.” (Psalms 42:11).

LIVING A LIFE OF ABUNDANCE ON LESS

LIVING A LIFE OF ABUNDANCE ON LESS

“A person’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things which he has”  

Luke 12:15

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ has made it clear many times in His teachings that  happiness is not derived from material possessions.  It is derived from our relationships, and our overall health and wellness.  Once you learn to detach happiness from acquiring and owning things, you can focus on what truly makes you happy, and that is living a life of giving and receiving love.  Your truest sources of pleasure and joy are free.

Owning things is not a bad thing. The problem begins when our things begin to own us.  In fact, God has promised those that follow Him both spiritual and material blessings on this Earth and in our life in Heaven. “Blessed is the person that trusts in the Lord, an whose hope the Lord is.  For they shall be as a tree that is planted by the waters, and that spreads out its roots by the river, and shall not see when heat comes, but its leaf shall be green and shal not cease from yielding fruit.”  (Jeremiah 17:7-8).  

You can live a life of abundance on less by getting the right attitude about the many things you already have in your life.   The problem many people have today is that they allow the things they own to define who they are. 

Having less does not equate with being less, or missing anything.  Too much “stuff” can cause emotional pain because some are either worrying that they do not have enough to keep up with someone else, or that somehow they will lose it.  

Our Lord is telling us in the verse above not to worry about what you have or do not have.  He is telling us not to worry about what others have.  He is telling us to make our lives a place where peace and calm lives instead of of stress and anxiety.

One message from the Lord Jesus to you and me today is for us not to get caught up in the buying frenzy that goes on during this time of the year.  The job of commercials is to sell you on the idea that if you buy their product, you will be happier.  The truth is that after you have something for a very short period of time,  it no longer holds any value.  I am sure there are many things you have bought for yourself, your children, or grandchildren that are broken, discarded, or stored in a place where they cannot be found. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth...but lay up for yourself treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21).

You already have an abundance of good things available.  The problem is that you are letting material things rob you of the important things of life.  What we really need this time of the year is more simplicity, more relaxation, more energy, more time, more joy, more freedom, more flexibility, and more of the things we truly value and need to live the life we want.  Living a life of abundance on less is about filling our souls rather than our physical space.  It is about peace of mind rather than just more, more, and more.

No one should feel like they have “nothing” when they can count on God’s love, the love of their family, and the love of a church family.  Even when there is a lack of material possessions and money a person can and should feel very rich if they have these things.  “Great peace have they which love your law: and nothing shall bother them”  (Psalm 119: 165)  The quantity of our “stuff” should not be considered the measure of our success.  God does value your worth on what you have or what you can give.  He loves you because of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for you.

As you enter the end of this year, why don’t you think about how you can live on less.  Because as you free your life from all the “material things”, you can open space for more spiritual things.

You make be thinking you don’t have much to give to others this Christmas.  You can give more this year than you have ever given to those you love.  This year think about giving more love to your family members and your Christian friends.  That love can be demonstrated in inexpensive and free gifts such as hand made gifts and baked goods.  It can also be demonstrated in acts of service like helping someone with your time.  You can give more with notes of kindness and appreciation.  You can help an elderly person with a repair at their home or take them shopping, or buy them some medicine or food.  You can help a child by tutoring or volunteering in an organization that spends time with them.  

You don’t have to wait until Christmas to give gifts.  In fact you can have Christmas 365 days a year.  You can visit a nursing home and have prayer with someone who never gets a visitor.  You can go to a rescue mission and donate some of the clothes you never wear to someone who has very little or nothing.  “Give, and it shall be given unto you...” (Luke 6:38).  This is not just speaking about money.  It is talking about acts of love and kindness.

You can live a life of abundance on less.  One of the keys to happiness is not to dwell on what you don’t have, but to be thankful for the things you do have.  Remember the song: “Count your many blessings, name them one by one.  Count your many blessings and you will see what the Lord has done.” Don’t think about what you don’t have, but think about what you do have.  Most people in the world today have less than you do. Today, begin to live a life of abundance on less and multiply what you have by giving to others.